The Oracle of Delphi
by Amber Quirke
Summary: Being an Oracle sucks. Trust me, I know first-hand. I'm just glad I could save my baby sister from this fate. My name is Lily Allison Dare, first-born of the Dare family. Yes, the famously rich Dare family. I'm the Oracle of Delphi, descendant of the Greek Gods.
1. The Laws of Magic

I didn't want to be able to see. I would have been perfectly happy to be blind. If you're reading this as that fiction book your studying in class, or that new library book your mum checked out for you, you're lucky. Congratulations. Everything is fine. For you.

Most of the time, being able to see means your either 1; aren't blind, or 2; in trouble. Me? I have attracted the worst possible trouble. I've always been able to see. That's my problem. I see _too much_.

I was six when I met my first god. Looking back on it, I figure I could have greeted him better. But I was six, so I'm not too miffed.

As it were, I was actually at an amusement park- a bit of a weird place for a god to hang out in, I know, but it was the only place he could have possibly caught me alone.

I had walked off from Miss Sutherland, my year group's teacher, a snotty, uptight 25 year old. I was walking alone, and let me tell you, a six year old, on their own, is going to get in trouble. Trust me, I don't need to spit out a prophecy to know that.

So anyway, I was lost, wandering around the back of the storm pool, when this guy walked up to me. Me, being six, just smiled prettily and said 'hello.'

Big mistake.

'You can see me?'

Looking back, I should have walked away. I should have ran off and pretended I never saw him.

'Mhmm. Why? Are you a ghost? You look like a ghost.' It was true. The guy genuinely looked like a ghost. He was wearing a Greek toga, something I had recognized from history day, the week before. He had a bow strapped to his back, and had a laurel wreath in his hair.

'I'm not a ghost, little one. My name is Apollo.' That should have been my first clue to start talking to 'Ella.' Ella was my best friend at the time. She was also imaginary, meaning I could get away with not talking to the man, Apollo, by pretending it was my fake-friend. But, of course, I didn't. I knew who Apollo was. Apollo was a Greek god.

'I learned about an Apollo with Miss Sutherland. She said that Apollo was a green god.' Apollo chuckled, obviously amused by the dorky six year old, history buff that I was.

'Not a green god, little miss, a Greek god. And I would be that god Miss Sutherland was telling you about.' Now, I may have been six, but I wasn't stupid.

'Aha? If you're a god, then I'm a Ori- an Ora- a girl who can tell the future with poems.' The man grinned and looked down at me with mischievous eyes.

'An Oracle, you say? Very well then.' In a flash he was gone, unfortunately the memory of me wasn't.

I didn't understand what I had done until a year later.

It was, a year and 4 months later, on my seventh birthday that I spat out my first prophecy.

'She will be east, lured by his heat's croon,

At a darker dawn, the sun will meet the moon.'

Now lets remember, I was seven. What would you expect a seven year old to do? Laugh?

I screamed. You know why? It hurt. Along with the prophecy, my eyes rolled up into my head, I passed out, and my brain lit on fire.

At least, it felt like that.

Anyway, as I said, this was my seventh birthday, so naturally I had a party. Daddy's rich, didn't you know? So, party.

I had around fifty people in the room, we were playing pass the parcel, the music had just been switched off and I was halfway through the paper when boom.

Prophecy.

Now that freaked a lot of people out. When I woke up, I was alone.

By alone I mean their were no mortals in the room. Key word; mortals.

'So, Oracle. How'd you like your prophecy? I started you off with a simple two-liner about me and Artemis.' I nodded stupidly, words still not forming in my little seven year old mind.

'Artemis told me I couldn't find a clear sighted mortal! Pah! I found myself a little Oracle! And she's young too, meaning she'll last longer, wont you my little prophet!' Again, I nodded dumbly, hardly paying attention. I was more concerned with the loaded bow and arrow in his hands.

And that was when I came to terms with the fact that I was crazy.

My name is Lily Allison Dare.

Now? I'm 13, I just got kicked out of school. Again. It's not my fault I can't help talking about gods in first person and forget that when people ask their greatest achievements, they don't actually know.

Honestly! They can't blame me for telling them that Athena actually cursed Medusa's sight and hair because she was spreading rumors of nearing Poseidon's child, not that she actually invited Poseidon into the temple of Athena to, eh, _fondue_. I'd heard Poseidon and Athena rant about it themselves!

But of course, they didn't see it that way. They also didn't see it that way when I told them that they were all ''Close minded, blind sots who couldn't tell the difference between a tree and a tea pot, never mind truth from lies.''

Yeah, I'm a bit of a smart-mouth. Something I picked up from Ares.

So yeah, expulsion. The third time since I had been given my 'gift' from Apollo.

I don't want you to get me wrong- I love seeing, talking and knowing the gods, I even appreciate the help my prophecies can give, I just don't particularly like giving them or seeing someone fail/die for them. That's not pleasant, let me tell you.

But the laws require me to shut up and do my job. Which I do without hesitation. It was hard the first time, never hearing about what happened to Tori Mourne on her first quest, in fact I moped and moaned until Hades told me to shut up. It is kind of embarrassing to hear that you're annoying from a god. Well, I say kinda, I mean its _really_ embarrassing.

And hence I shut up.

Anyway, I was talking about the laws, right? That's kinda a new enstatement. After I started bugging Athena and Apollo about my prophecies and history and their kid's quests and stuff, they begged Zeus to create some laws. The Laws of Magic. They aren't really laws, I usually break atleast one per week, but I'm Apollo's favourite, so as long as I'm not bugging him, he's fine watching me annoy his family.

1. The Oracle shan't acknowledge remembering a prophecy to a demigod unless crucial.

2. The Oracle's family and friends shall not know of her duty as an Oracle, lest they be part godly-being.

3. An Oracle shall not question the Gods.

4. An Oracle is not allowed a physical relationship of affection. (Zeus did this just to spite me, I swear!)

5. An Oracle shall spend her life, mortal or immortal, in servitude to the voice of Apollo, and his prophetic visions.

And that's the five laws. They suck, don't they? Its bad enough not being allowed a boyfriend, but I have to dodge every hug or kiss my sister, Rachel or my parents want to give me! Not cool.

Speaking of my family, when I was eight Artemis told me something interesting. Apparently, I was born an accident. The last Oracle (A disgusting Mummy that lived in an attic where the Greek Half-Bloods trained) spat out a prophecy a week before I was 'chosen' (she disintergrated straight after, thank Apollo too, she was just gross!). Apparently this prophecy was about someone decended from Apollo becoming an Oracle. _A five year old someone _becoming the Oracle. My sister. I was born accidental and was never supposed to exist. Somehow I'd slipped unnoticed by Hera's familial radar.

I'm rather quite proud of that, actually.

Anyway, I wasn't supposed to be born with the sight. Rachel was. Don't get me wrong, she can see through mist, sometimes a little better than that demigod down the road, Percy Jackson or something- but not as good as I can.

Rachel was supposed to be the Oracle. I saved her from a life of misery, but I also gave her one too. She can see through the mist, but not know what she's seeing. That sucks, too.

But the laws of magic are clear- I can't explain it too her, so I usually distract her when I spot a satyr or a passing demigod. Its actually kind of hard, you know with them waving at me like I'm an old friend or thanking me for not speaking their death in their last quest.

I look at them like their insane and they get the hint. After five minutes.

It gets a little harder with age, you know with the monsters now starting to pick up on the smell of Apollo's blood and power on me.

Scratch that. Funnily enough, the Oracle's spirit screwed this part up. I'm not actually descended from Apollo. I'm actually descended from Asteria, the 'Aunt' of Artemis and Apollo. Apparently she fell in love with a mortal, had an illegitimate child and told no one, but somehow Aphrodite found out.

Scratch that of course Aphrodite found out.

"Lily, we're here!" Rachel sung, pulling me out of my thoughts. Its a wonder that I managed to get all that out in only a mile of travel.

"Miss Dare, your father wishes you a happy summer in the strawberry fields, but his offer of summer camp at Clarion Academy still stands." The driver, Robertson said as he opened the door. I rolled my eyes.

Daddy doesn't approve of my strawberry-picking summers and often tries to get me to attend Clarion Ladies Academy's (my school) summer camp, which he make Rachel attend, even though she isn't a student there. Luckily for me, I'm always on Daddy's good side (despite my expulsions), being the little poet protege and straight-A student that I am, (well- in all except history) he allows me to spend summers how I want, but tries to persuade me differently each time.

Actually, He only allows my strawberry picking because it looks good on a job application. Imagine if he knew that I actually go there to sword fight and predict the future.

Ten dollars on him fainting.


	2. Percy Jackson comes to Camp

I was greeted back with the smiles and hugs I'd grown accustomed to. Us god-blooded children may swing swords at each other and hack each other to bits, but you can't say we aren't a loving family.

Scratch that- you can't say that, minus the Ares cabin, we aren't a loving family. Much better.

However I noticed one of my friends faces wasn't among the crowd..

"Where's Grover?" I asked, interrupting Mr D's usual greeting of 'Don't expect me to welcome you back, Lilac Doors.' Mr D muttered something about interrupting brats before stalking off, no doubt plotting to turn me into a sunflower sometime soon.

"He's been let back out to his searching duties." Chiron, the activities director, told me, his tail twitching slightly.

Yes, I said tail. I'm an Oracle. You've met Apollo. You honestly should have expected this. Chiron is _the _Chiron. You know, the centaur trainer of Hercules? _That_ Chiron? Yeah, my camp's activities director is an immortal horse.

Woah, that souned odd- back on task Lily!

"What do you mean Grover's been let back out? Why wasn't I informed?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.

Before you ask stupid questions about my love life, lets make one thing clear- I am not dating Grover. I will never date Grover. I do not want to date Grover. I'm the Oracle of Delphi. The _Virgin_ Oracle of Delphi.

Grover is my best friend. A few years ago, back when I was really new at the camp, an accident happened. Grover was a searcher and escorting three demigods back to camp, but were being chased by a horde of monsters and a terribly nasty cyclops.

Long story short- Thalia, one of the demigods, is now a pine tree on Half-Blood Hill. She was about to die, but her father, Zeus, changed her instead. Annabeth and Luke made it fine, a few injuries, but nothing a little nectar couldn't fix. Grover was in a bad way. He had to tangle with something rough as he was half unconcious when he dragged the two kids near the boundary.

I, being the idiot that I was stood and gawped for a second. But a second was long enough for him to pass out, as well as the kids. The monsters were gaining on them as Thalia had already made, what came to be known as 'her last stand' (although I knew differently, I had several drawings of her looking older, which were all channeled from my visions, unfortnately, I'm not allowed to acknowledge them so I never told anyone of them). I ended up running out and dragging the three of them though the boundary, whilest a couple of the Apollo cabin ran up the hill aiming arrows at the monsters.

Grover and I had been friends ever since, so you'll excuse me if I'm a little miffed that no one informed me of this change.

"The Council of Elders has agreed to let him back out on probation. We didn't tell you because we assumed you would be going to the same school. He was sent to Yancy academy to watch for the Perseus Jackson you mentioned." Chiron answered, watching my face carefully as though I was a ticking time bomb about to burst out in a fit of shouts and protests.

And here I thought Chiron would have faith in me. I didn't yell; I sulked.

I huffed and stalked over to the big house, where my room was in the attic. I didn't come out until an hour or so before dinner.

At the time, I didn't know it was Apollo's Oracle Spirit guiding me to Thalia, I only realized that after. I wish I'd ignored my instinct to go see the dumb tree- it would have saved me from ivading on an awful personal moment. I sat down by the tree and was only there for about five minutes when I heard yelling.

"Hey! Hey stupid! Ground Beef!"

What on earth?

I looked down the hill to see the _**Minotaur **_charging at a weedy little dark haired boy half dragging a satyr with him.

I repeat. _**What on earth?**_

I pulled off the ring from my middle finger on my left hand and it transformed into a glittery bronze sword.

If you're wondering what the ring thing is about, lets just say I have four rings. Each one turns into something different when taken off. I pulled some weight with the Hephaestus cabin- I bought them some new gear over the school term a couple of years back and in return they made me my four rings. They turn into a shield, a sword, a spear and a sack full of darts. They aren't magical by any means- just regular old weapons, albeit perfectly made and perfectly balanced weapons, but regular with great mist manipulations.

The sword is a given. Everyone at Camp Half-Blood is trained to use a sword like second nature. Same with the shield, really. Swords and shields are like the butter to every half-blood's toast. It just is.

The spear is a little less common, but we still train to use it. A couple of us are very proficient at it- Clarisse from the Ares cabin has an electric one as a gift from her father. She's shockingly good with it.

The darts, however, are another thing entirely. The darts aren't very greek- but I suck with a bow and arrow. Like, really suck. As in I hit Chiron behind me, instead of the target in front of me bad. Luckily though, I used to play darts with my old chauffer at weddings and parties I didn't care much for. I was pretty good, so I told Chiron who coincidently has a dart board in the big house (Apparently its the only game Mr D can beat him in..). Nonetheless, I am now the unofficial Darts Master at camp.

The Hephaestus cabin thought it'd be funny to give me some Celestial Bronze darts from left over metal from their other projects. We never thought they'd be good as a weapon.

But we're getting off track- I drew my sword and was about to charge down the hill when the new camper got an idea. A very stupid idea.

He waved a red blanket infront of the bull, making me halt as giggles erupted from my mouth.

Then on my following expressions went like this: worry, disbelief, amusement, slack-jawed. Yeah, this kid was crazy.

Imagine my suprise when I find out this crazy new camper was the kid that lived a couple streets over!

"Grover! Oi, all-knowing Oracle coming through!" I ran down the hill, still carrying my sword, and elbowed my way passed the new kid. He just stood there in shock. But never mind that- Grover was hurt.

I knelt down to Grover and noticed he was out cold. Summoning up my dignity, I hoped to the gods that the kid new enough about Grover to realize I wasn't crazy.

"Juniper has Enchiladas!" Juniper is a cute tree nymph that lived in the woods behind camp, who Grover has had a crush on since forever. I really shouldn't have to explain the enchiladas. He's crazy for them.

It worked. He woke up straight away.

"Juniper? Enchi- Lily! Don't do that!" I smirked and hugged him, before pulling him to his feet. The new kid still hadn't moved from his spot. I noticed the Minotaur Horn that he'd used to kill the monster was on the floor just left to his hand as if he'd dropped it.

Grover noticed him then too and grinned.

"Lily let me introduce you to-" I cut him off. I knew this kid.

"Percy Jackson. Son of the blue-candy lady." I cut him off. Grover seemed a little shocked I knew him, but that was when I reckoned I'd said something wrong. Percy trembled.

"Grover.., Mom's gone.." He collapsed.

I'm not gonna carry on from there, as it'd be mean to Percy. But I will tell you that he's still an unclaimed half-blood but he's not-long woke up from being out-cold so we're not too worried about over-packing the Hermes cabin for too long.

At least, I'm not. That kid'll be claimed. I'm sure of it.

Speaking about Percy- he just got informed about Capture the Flag. Man, if you'd have seen his face! (Clarisse's earlier was better, but I'm not supposed to mention that if I don't want my face rearranged..)

I don' think he's quite realized that we atually _do_ use weapons. Just wait 'till he sees Annabeth and he nasty dagger!

**Authros Note: Thanks to those who reviewed. Criticism would be nice, as well as suggestions for plot hoops. **

**-Amber Quirke**


	3. I Hate Electrical Spears

Well, I can't say that having Percy Jackson at camp wasn't eventful. That kids got a knack for trouble, I'm telling you!

It started out with the minotaur, how the kid killed the minotaur is ridiculous!.. But the most believable thing that has happened since he's been here.

Seriously, when I knew he was going to get claimed, I wasn't expecting the lightning thief! A son of Poseidon! I always laid my bet on Poseidon keeping his word, but I suppose that it goes to show that even all-knowing, future-seeing poetic oracles can be wrong!

I'm gonna skip over the week where he kicked butt in sword-fighting, got outrun by a tree and drowned Clarisse in favor of Capture the Flag.

Because I'm a weaker offensive fighter than defense, I got put in the creek at the game perimeter to defend the flag. Percy got paired up with me due to his lack of experience.

It was fine, we chatted, how he recognized me from TV, how I recognized him from school, that sort of thing, when I got smacked with an electric spear.

I don't know about you. but I really hate electrical slaps. Clarisse had attacked us for 'revenge' about Percy's toilet prank. Bad Idea.

I stayed off to the side- actually I was hauled off to the side by kids around thrice the size of me- and was made to watch Percy get beat up. The kid wasn't doing to well.

For some reason- explained in a moment- the water somehow healed and strengthened him. Thats when I decided I knew his parentage.

-Long story short, Clarisse got knocked down a peg (_again_) and her electrical spear got snapped. Woot!

Everyone came and found us at the Creek, and Percy got claimed. A huge, glowing green trident appeared above his head.

"All hail Percy Jackson. Son of Poseidon the God of the seas, earthquakes, sto

rms.." ETC. ETC. I swear Chiron always goes over the top with claiming kids!

And then we got jumped by a freaking hell hound. Lovely.

Luckily, no one got banged up too bad. I broke my wrist, but Will Solace, an Apollo kid, set it up nicely and used some godly hocus-pocus. (It will be fine in a week or two.) Percy had a couple of nasty scratches and Clarisse wasn't spared either, but with a bit of nectar they were fine.

I wish I could tell you that was it for my eventful summer, but I'm afraid that was only th beginning. You see, what no one understands is, I _always_ remember _every_ prophecy I give out. Even if it not from me specifically. I somehow tapped into the Oracle's memory a couple years back and boom!

That's _a lot_ of prophecies!

What's interesting about it though, is that the previous oracle,. the icky mummy in the attic, gave out the last great prophecy. I'm pretty sure it's about Percy.

Now, telling you the prophecy wouldn't be any fun at all, so I'll give you one line to dwell on:

'A hero of the eldest gods,'

Pleasant, eh?

That's the first line of the prophecy, so you get why I reckon it's all about Percy.

Speaking of Percy, I think he's just accepted a quest. Well- from what I can hear through the attic door I'm hiding behind to eavesdrop..

Well I suppose I better go offer my services. It's what I'm here for, right?

**I know I promised you this chapter aaaaaaaaages ago, but my laptop hates me and deleted my draft I had for chapter three when I fell asleep writing it. This is a hell of a lot shorter then it would have been, but I hope you enjoy! -Amber Quirke.**


End file.
